EVERYTHING from microchips inserted at birth to predict health problems to self-drive cars with workstations were imagined for a world 50 years from now as 700 students gathered this week at the second Young Innovators competition at Shannon Airport.
The students representing schools nationwide were set the tasks of imagining the world 50 years from now and coming up with new business ideas for then across six categories – how we Live, Work, Play, Shop, Learn and Travel. Top honours were claimed by St. Patrick’s Comprehensive, Shannon.
The Irish Technology Leaders Group (ITLG) event, in association with LIT, saw the students mentored by representatives from some of the world’s leading companies including Dell, Intel, Analog, Johnson and Johnson, Cook Medical, Zagg and Logitech ahead of submitting their project. The event was also supported by Shannon Airport, Enterprise Ireland, Aer Lingus, Carambola kids and Innovate Limerick.
The presence of leading national and local brands was, however, almost eclipsed by sports stars, including retired Kilkenny hurling legend Henry Shefflin, Kerry football star Killian Young and Munster stars Ronan O’Mahony and Cathal Sheridan.
A short list of six schools – eventual winners St. Patrick’s Comprehensive, Shannon (Work category); Mary Immaculate, Lisdoonvarna (Play category, 2nd place); Patrician Academy, Mallow (Shop category, 3rd place); Salesian College, Limerick (Travel category); Castletroy College (Learn category); and Presentation Secondary School, Thurles (Live category) – then pitched ‘Dragon’s Den’ style to judges.
The idea, however, that caught judges’ attention the most was St. Patrick’s Comprehensive’s concept for implanting a micro-chip at birth that would deliver predictive diagnostics for health issues.
They will now travel, courtesy of Aer Lingus, to Silicon Valley to see first-hand leading tech companies in action and also walk away with devices sponsored by Dell.
Said team member Sophie Petticrew, “This is incredible. We just came here with a load of ideas in our heads but certainly didn’t think that we’d be looking forward to a trip to Silicon Valley. I’m not sure when we will wake up and realise it’s a dream.
“One of the reasons we said we would do this was that it was such an amazing prize and we really wanted it. We just came up with an idea and tried our best. To see Silicon Valley will be fantastic as it is one of the most influential places in the world. ”
ITLG founder John Hartnett said; “It’s been an incredible day. If what we have seen here today in terms of the ideas put forward is anything to go by, we have an extremely exciting future. The whole idea of the event was that we would encourage innovation and entrepreneurship and the creative senses were certainly in full flow here today.”
Vice President Research, Enterprise and Development at LIT Liam Brown said; “We work with a lot of very smart companies at our extensive network of incubation and enterprise centres in LIT that would be quite proud of some of the ideas that were generated here. There was no shortage of inspiration and I won’t be surprised if we see some of these teenagers on campus in years to come with their own start-up businesses.”
Said Rose Hynes, Chairman of hosts Shannon Group plc, “Formal education tends to seek particular answers but that wasn’t what today was about. There were no right answers or wrong answers, just imagining possibilities and solutions for the future. We need more initiatives like this to encourage free-thinking and even entrepreneurship at second level so that we make sure Ireland continues to foster companies that are making global impacts.”
